Apparently, Howard Dean is having trouble raising money from corporate donors, and for some reason the Establishment Media thinks this is a problem.

It's not.

First, the Democratic Party will expand its presence in the House and Senate in 2006; if it does so without being too beholden to corporations, that's a good thing for voters, who've always benefited more from Democratic policies than Republican policies.

Second, the fact that the GOP is in Big Business' hip-pocket is underscored by the donations-gap, and can be used against Republicans. And if Dean and the Dems take that route, they'll be compelled to keep corporate lobbyists at arms-length or look like hypocrites -- meaning that industries hoping to continue their government gravy train-ride will be disappointed. Again, another win for voters.

Third, when the Democratic Party increases the number of Congressional seats it holds, companies that played Scrooge will scramble to play catch-up with other businesses that were more even-handed when making donations. Those corporations will have to work twice as hard to make their concerns, their wants, and their needs heard; after all, how friendly would you be to someone who supported your opponents, then did an about-face and wanted to be your new best friend because you got the upper-hand against your rivals?

As far as I'm concerned it's a good thing that companies are being frosty to Dean; it won't stop him from getting media coverage will it? Plenty of talking-head shows want him as a guest, hoping he'll say something controversial that will get them publicity. The result? He gets to deliver his message for free instead of spending money to buy air-time and ad-space for commercials and print ads that also cost money to make.